What is more frightening than seeing an angel? What about a pregnant woman? Joseph wasn’t afraid of the angel that showed up, which is usually the case and the reason the angels usually say, “Do not be afraid”. The angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to marry Mary!
The angel didn’t say; Do not Fear, in a manner that reflected Joseph’s fear of angels but fear of making this decision to marry this pregnant woman whose child she was carrying wasn’t even his. He had decided to divorce her or break off the engagement privately without bringing any charges of infidelity against her. The night before he was “resolved” to take action, the angel shows up and gives him an alternative view of the situation. This happy time of engagement had turned dark and his fears were taking over his decision making abilities.
Darkness is all around us but we should not be afraid of the dark. During this time of year when the nights get longer and people are beginning to face the Christmas season and the New Year under the shadow of fear, we need to be afraid of the darkness.
For children who are afraid of the dark at times; parents should listen to their concerns; perhaps give them a tour of the room; acknowledge the fears and realize that there is nothing to be afraid, not even the dark for God’s angels are protecting us. There is the bedtime prayer with my children that goes like this: “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the lord my soul to keep; the angels watch me through the night until I wake with morning light.
During this season of Advent, I am going to do a sermon series on angels. When people ask me if I believe in angels, I say “no.” I can’t say I believe IN angels but I believe in the one who has sent and continues to send angels to guard and protect us! People have either become so focused on angels that they worship them or they usually dismiss them altogether in the twentieth century as just a personification of a psychological connection with spiritual realm.[1] We believe angels exist! So, when it comes to angels, we first of all want to say that we do believe that Angels exist!
Secondly, we believe from a Biblical and Christian tradition that the angels fight for the church community and demons fight against the church community. We don’t believe that SATAN and God are on the same level. Angels fight for the will of God and demons (fallen angels) fight against God’s will in the world and our lives.
Finally, we believe that angels and people are two different created beings. When people die, they don’t become angels. We don’t believe God claims people, especially children to become angels in heaven. Please don’t tell parents who lose children that God needed another angel. They were created like us to praise God and are sent as messengers.
Here is an easy way to remember some of the characteristics of angels with the use of an anachronism.
A = Ambassador; angel is the name of their office not of their nature![2] When Jacob met an angel with darkness all around and the messenger was sent to engage him in dealing with his fear of seeing his brother for the first time since deceiving Esau. Genesis 32:22-31. In the Hebrew Old Testament, the word for angel is MALAK; meaning to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically of God, that is, an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher); ambassador.
N = Nameless; What are the two named angels in the Bible? Gabriel and Michael! They are used only about 4% of the time in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the word angel is used 95 times in Old Testament and they are never named four time and they usually referred to as the angel of God. In The New Testament, the word angel is used 98 times and again only four times is a name given. Michael is used 4 times in the Bible (Daniel twice and Luke twice) and Gabriel is referred to 5 times (3 in Daniel; 1 in Jude; 1 in Revelation). I think they are nameless the way children are sometimes named. My parents had nine children. My oldest brother was named John Paul Thomas; John for my grandfather and Paul for my dad. After Gabriel and Michael, they were probably too many to name. Remember, their purpose is to focus on the one sent. Jacob wanted to know the name of the angel in Genesis passage and the angel dismissed his need to name and claim.
The G = GOOD NEWS; the angels always brought an encouraging word; they brought a message, the good news as a word of hope in the life of the person in order to set us on a new course. The Greek word for Good news is euaggelion, which means message, gospel, sent, good news or evangelical.
The E = EVANGELICAL; take your bulletin and look where it says that we are a church of the
The L = LIFE; Only Jesus could save us from our sins, not the angels. They couldn’t defeat the evil one on their own and nor can we without the cross. The angels had to wait Good Friday and Saturday until Sunday morning and then just two of them were needed to role the stone away. Only Christ can defeat the evil forces that try to keep us in the dark. We receive this message of Christ so that we might not be afraid of the dark!
Let us pray: Gracious God, you continue to send angels to protect your church and guard us. Guide us this day as we hear the good news, the message of the angels that we need not be afraid, in Jesus name, Amen.
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